The present invention relates generally to optical scanners and, more particularly, to a modular light source for an optical scanner.
Optical imaging devices which utilize a chromatic beam splitter consisting of composited dichroic beam splitter plates which separate a light beam into parallel color component beams are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,144 of Kent J. Vincent; U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,750 of Kent J. Vincent and Hans D. Neuman; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 383,463 filed 7/20/89 for OPTICAL SCANNER of David Wayne Boyd, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,041, which are all hereby specifically incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein.
Optical imaging devices require a light source for illuminating documents or other objects which are to be imaged. It is an object of the present invention to provide a light source for an optical imaging device which has a modular construction for enabling quick and easy replacement of the light source if it fails. It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular light source for an optical imaging device which may be used in association with a slit-type aperture. It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular light source for an optical imaging device which is relatively inexpensive to produce.